ESP Students’ Reading Motivation at a Vietnamese University: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study

Reading proficiency is central to academic success in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) settings, yet motivation to read discipline-specific texts remains underexplored among non-English majors in Vietnam. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and the Reading Motivation Questionnaire for English as a Foreign Language (RMQ-EFL), this study investigated the reading motivation of 416 Economic Law students enrolled in a compulsory “English for Economic Law” course at a public university in Ho Chi Minh City. The RMQ-EFL framework specifies five factors: three intrinsic (reading efficacy, reading enjoyment, involvement) and two extrinsic (recognition, compliance). An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining a quantitative survey (N = 416) with follow-up semi-structured interviews (N = 20) to explain the survey patterns. Descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and independent-samples t-tests were conducted in SPSS 27, and the interview data were analyzed thematically. The results revealed that extrinsic motivation significantly exceeded intrinsic motivation, with compliance recording the highest mean and reading efficacy the lowest. No statistically significant differences emerged between male and female students on either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. The qualitative findings clarified these patterns: students’ strong compliance orientation reflected Vietnamese cultural values emphasizing respect for authority, diligence, and academic responsibility, along with grade- and graduation-related pressures, whereas their low reading efficacy stemmed from difficulties with specialized legal vocabulary and limited confidence in comprehending complex legal texts. Intrinsic engagement nonetheless emerged when reading materials were perceived as personally relevant or career-oriented. These findings suggest that ESP instruction should build on students’ existing compliance while fostering more autonomous motivation through career-relevant reading materials, systematic vocabulary support, and strategy-based instruction. The study contributes empirical evidence on how cultural and institutional contexts shape ESP reading motivation in Asian higher education.